VICTORY! Latonia Wilson negotiates a deal with investor to keep her family in their home!

Atlanta resident Latonia Wilson negotiated a deal last week to stay in her home. Latonia, who lives in the home with eight of her nine children, fell behind on her mortgage after losing her job earlier this year. Her attempts to reach out to her lender, a small investor with a shady past, were unsuccesful until she joined forces with Occupy Our Homes Atlanta last month.

Latonia and her family had lived in their Southwest Atlanta home for over 5 years when her landlord sold the home to another investor. The new investor, Performance View LLC approached Latonia and offered her an opportunity to purchase her home. Alhtough Latonia had never imagined herself as a homeowner, she jumped at the opportunity to provide long-term stability for her family. When hard times hit and Latonia found herself unable to keep up with the mortgage, she attempted to contact Dan West, the owner of Performance View LLC, to no avail. The phone number listed for the company was disconnected, and their registered address only led to a Publix grocery store.

When Latonia received a foreclosure notice in July, she reached out to Occupy Our Homes Atlanta who mobilized at the monthly foreclosure auction and successfully prevented a third party from purchasing Latonia's home. After weeks of investigation, they were finally able to track down Dan West, and presented him with an offer from Latonia which would allow her to remain in her home with her family at a price she could afford.

Last week, as supporters joined Latonia at her eviction hearing at the Fulton County courthouse, Mr. West accepted her offer and a deal was reached. Latonia and her family can finally rest, with the threat of looming eviction finally behind them. At a cookout held at the Wilson home last week, Latonia's friends and family pledged to continue the fight for others in their neighborhood facing housing crisis.